Reborn Song Qingshu: Besieging Bright Peak at the Start

Wei Bi and Wu Qingying rushed to the front yard and found more than a dozen servants lying haphazardly on the ground, each covering their faces and writhing in pain, with blood seeping from between their fingers.

Each person had a hidden weapon shaped like a golden flower embedded in their face, which gleamed eerily in the sunlight.

Wu Lie was leading the remaining servants in a standoff with the newcomers, his face ashen.

The person confronting them was a hunched-over, decrepit old woman.

She leaned on a coral gold cane, her body so hunched that she almost buried her face in her collar. She coughed softly every now and then, looking frail and delicate, as if a gust of wind could blow her over.

Beside her, a girl of about eighteen or nineteen was carefully supporting her arm.

The girl had a dark complexion, swollen and uneven skin, and was extremely ugly. The only exception was her pair of bright and lively eyes, and her slender and graceful figure, which was completely incongruous with her ugly face.

Wu Qingying's heart skipped a beat when her gaze fell on the ugly woman's face.

She recognized the face.

That day, she stumbled upon Wei Bi and Zhu Jiuzhen's intimate moment, and in a fit of jealousy, she accidentally killed Zhu Jiuzhen, which was discovered by this woman.

She was shocked and frightened at the time, but fortunately her senior brother Wei Bi reacted quickly and cleverly, turning the tables and framing the ugly woman for the whole thing.

The intention was to bring the "culprit" to justice to prevent future troubles, but unexpectedly, the woman had the help of a master that day and escaped a calamity.

The matter was left unresolved, but it remained a thorn in Wu Qingying's side.

Unexpectedly, this thorn has not only returned on its own, but also brought an old one with it.

"Oh, so it's you, you ugly monster!"

  

Upon seeing that hateful face, Wu Qingying felt a surge of both old and new grudges. Standing in her own courtyard, she felt more confident and immediately raised her eyebrows and shrieked.

"You got away last time, but you dare to come knocking on my door today! And you even brought an old geezer with you..."

She was about to say "you old geezer," but before she could finish the sentence, Wu Lie's expression changed drastically, and he shouted sharply, "Qingying! Shut up!"

But it was too late.

The hunched old woman coughed softly twice.

She slowly raised her eyelids, a glint of light flashing in her originally cloudy old eyes, her voice hoarse and flat: "Such a young age, and so ill-mannered. Slap her."

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone felt a blur before their eyes.

The old woman's figure vanished into thin air, as if she had never stood there at all.

Immediately afterwards, two crisp slaps echoed through the front yard. "Slap! Slap!" Wu Qingying's head was slapped to the left and right, and she spun half a circle on the spot, staggering and almost falling to the ground.

When she regained her footing, two bright red handprints were swollen on her delicate, fair cheeks, and a trickle of blood slowly flowed down her chin from the corner of her mouth.

The old woman had somehow returned to her original spot.

He still had that frail appearance, hunched over and coughing incessantly, his coral gold cane stuck in place, as if he hadn't moved an inch from beginning to end.

Wei Bi's pupils contracted sharply, and a layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out on his back.

He was not an ignorant person. Over the years, he had traveled the world with his master and had seen many masters. However, among all the masters he had seen, none of them could complete this advance and retreat in an instant, slap two people and return to their original position unharmed, without even leaving a trace of their footsteps.

This is no ordinary expert; this is a grandmaster.

Wu Qingying was raised and pampered by Wu Lie from childhood. In this small area on the southern slope of Kunlun Mountain, everyone who saw her had to respectfully call her "Miss Wu".

When have I ever suffered such humiliation?

She was stunned for a full three breaths before she came to her senses. The burning pain on half of her face burned away all her reason. Tears welled up in her eyes, and with a "clang," she was about to draw the long sword at her waist, screaming:

"You old hag! I'll kill you!"

The sword had barely left its sheath for three inches when another slap came flying at his head.

Wu Qingying was completely stunned—because the person who hit her was none other than her own father.

Wu Lie stood before her, his face ashen, his right hand still in a waving gesture, his voice trembling with anger:

"Insolence! You unfilial daughter! Put your sword away! I've truly spoiled you all these years!"

His eyes held both overwhelming rage and deep fear, as well as a hint of bitterness that only he himself understood.

If he hadn't intervened to stop his daughter, and the old woman had struck again, it probably wouldn't have been just a matter of two slaps.

Wu Qingying covered her face, staring at her father in disbelief, her eyes brimming with tears of grievance.

But she wasn't stupid. Her father's reaction just now—his earlier shout, the slap, and the fear in his eyes—instantly extinguished the anger in her heart, and reason was poured over her like a bucket of cold water.

She suddenly realized: this old woman was not someone she could afford to mess with.

She silently sheathed her sword, lowered her head, and retreated behind Wu Lie, not daring to utter another word.

Wu Lie took a deep breath, turned around, and his face now wore a respectful expression.

He quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in a deep bow, and spoke with utmost humility:

"My daughter is young and ignorant, and spoke rudely, offending you, senior. I hope you will be magnanimous and not hold it against her. I apologize on her behalf."

He straightened up, carefully observing the old woman's expression, then glanced at the servants on the ground with gold flowers embedded in their faces. His resolve grew stronger, and he tentatively asked:

"If I am not mistaken... could you perhaps be Granny Jin... Granny Jinhua from Spirit Serpent Island?"

The old woman raised her eyelids slightly, her expression calm and indifferent, and the corner of her mouth seemed to twitch slightly:

"Oh? So many years have passed, I never thought that this old woman would still have some reputation in the martial arts world."

Saying those words seemed to have taken a lot of her strength, and she coughed lightly again. The cough sounded hollow and sent chills down one's spine.

"Sigh, I'm getting old and useless. Even a little girl dares to talk nonsense to this old woman like that... cough cough cough..."

She coughed lightly, but Wu Lie's hair stood on end.

Having roamed the martial world for decades, how could he not know the weight of the name "Golden Flower Granny"?

This Granny Jin Hua possesses unfathomable martial arts skills, and her actions are both righteous and wicked, unpredictable and volatile.

No one in the martial arts world who offended her ever came to a good end.

Despite being a prominent figure in Wu Family Village on the southern slopes of Kunlun Mountain, he is nothing more than an ant in front of Granny Jin Hua.

I wonder how this jinx came to his manor? I'm afraid things won't end well today.

"So it's Senior Jin Hua who has graced us with her presence. I am so sorry for not welcoming you properly! I wonder what brings you here, Senior? ... I will do my utmost to help you in any way you can."

Wu Lie clasped his hands repeatedly, bowing even lower than before, and secretly glanced at the other person's reaction as he spoke.

Granny Jin Hua paid no attention to his solicitousness, and raised her withered hand to wave at the ugly girl beside her: "Ali, you speak."

This ugly woman—naturally, is Yin Li, Zhu'er, the granddaughter of Yin Tianzheng.

But she stepped forward, her gaze coldly sweeping over Wu Lie and Wu Qingying and Wei Bi behind him, her voice clear and icy:

"Master Wu, the old woman has come to ask you one thing—the whereabouts of Xie Xun, the Golden-Haired Lion King. I hope you will tell her the truth, so as not to make a mistake."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Wu Lie, Wu Qingying, and Wei Bi all changed.

The subtle changes in the expressions of the three people were all noticed by Granny Jin Hua's old eyes, which were cloudy yet sharp as needles.

She sneered inwardly—Ah Li was right after all; these people really did know Xie Xun's whereabouts.

Wu Lie's mind raced, and a layer of cold sweat had already seeped out of his back.

How did this ugly girl know that they knew Xie Xun's whereabouts?

It was naturally caused by personal feelings.

That day, Zhu'er originally wanted to find Zhu Jiuzhen to vent her anger for Brother A Niu.

Just because she saw that Brother A Niu, who cared about her and felt sorry for her, was covered in wounds and had old marks from being bitten by vicious dogs, she concluded that it was Zhu Jiuzhen who did it.

Zhu Jiuzhen was notorious in the area for keeping vicious dogs that could injure people, and many people had been bitten by them.

She arrived at Blizzard Manor under cover of night and happened to stumble upon Wei Bi and Zhu Jiuzhen's secret rendezvous. She also overheard the two of them talking about Xie Xun, the Dragon-Slaying Saber, and Zhang Wuji.

Before she could hear clearly, Wu Qingying barged in and accidentally killed Zhu Jiuzhen. She wanted to leave the scene, but she made a commotion and was framed. If she hadn't had the quick thinking to say that she had a clue about Zhang Wuji and wanted to see Brother A Niu before she left, she would have really been killed by that despicable couple.

However, their discussion about Xie Xun's Dragon-Slaying Saber was remembered by Zhu'er. When she met Granny Jin Hua, she learned that Granny Jin Hua was also looking for Xie Xun's whereabouts, and told her about it.

This is why Granny Jin Hua appeared here.

Wu Lie had no idea of ​​the intricacies involved. Though shocked, he quickly feigned confusion and innocence, waving his hands repeatedly.

"What makes you say that, young lady? Xie Xun, the Golden-Haired Lion King, is one of the Four Great Protectors of the Ming Cult. He disappeared after seizing the Dragon-Slaying Saber on Wangpan Mountain, a fact known to everyone in the martial arts world. How could a master like him possibly know the whereabouts of a country bumpkin like us from Kunlun Mountain?"

The young lady has probably misunderstood something and believed some rumors.

His words were perfectly watertight—he acknowledged Xie Xun's disappearance while absolving himself of all responsibility, and his tone was so sincere that anyone who didn't know the truth would almost believe him.

Hiding in the shadows, Song Qingshu saw everything clearly.

Ironically, he had originally planned to "be polite first, then resort to force".

After he knocked on the door, the doorman introduced himself as a wandering knight who was passing by and wanted to ask for a bowl of water.

Seeing that he was handsome and spoke politely, the gatekeeper had no suspicions and invited him into the gatehouse to have tea and rest.

Before he could even take two sips of his tea, he heard a scream.

Two figures used their lightness skills to gracefully land from outside the courtyard wall into the manor. Immediately afterwards, a large amount of golden flowers rained down, and the dozen or so servants who tried to block them fell to the ground.

The manor was thrown into chaos. The bronze bell rang urgently, and the servants ran around shouting.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Song Qingshu slipped into the shadows of a side room, held his breath, and concealed his aura to the extreme.

With his current mastery of the Nine Yang Divine Skill, his internal energy cultivation was so profound that even an old hand like Granny Jin Hua might not be able to detect it easily.

He looked out through the crack in the window and had a clear view of the entire front yard.

Meanwhile, in the arena...

Seeing that Wu Lie stubbornly denied it, Ali was about to expose his lie, but Granny Jin Hua was too lazy to waste any more words.

Another figure flashed by.

Before everyone's eyes could see clearly, Granny Jin Hua had already grabbed Wu Qingying by the neck with one hand and lifted her off the ground.

The old woman was hunched over, but her arms were as steady as iron. Her old, withered fingers gripped Wu Qingying's thin throat like eagle claws, without breaking a sweat.

Wu Qingying kicked wildly with her feet dangling in the air, desperately trying to pry open the withered hand on her neck, but it was like an ant trying to shake a tree, completely unmoving.

The face, still bearing the handprint, quickly turned a purplish-red, and a few broken sobs escaped its throat as its eyes began to roll upwards.

"Master Wu."

Granny Jin Hua's voice remained calm, her breathing perfectly steady.

"This old woman has a bad temper and limited patience. Think carefully before you speak—are you telling the truth, or are you just here to collect your daughter's body?"

After saying that, his grip tightened slightly, and Wu Qingying struggled even more violently.

Wu Lie was terrified and fell to his knees with a thud, hissing, "Senior, please have mercy! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything! Please spare my daughter!"

Wu Lie dared not utter another word of pretense and immediately revealed Xie Xun's whereabouts.

It is said that Xie Xun hid on a remote island in the bitterly cold far north.

The island is extremely unique, with one half being a volcano that never goes out and the other half being an ancient glacier that never melts. The cold and heat blend together, and ice and fire coexist in one place, hence the name Ice and Fire Island.

Granny Jinhua listened quietly, a glint of light flashing in her eyes, and pressed for more details: "What are the exact coordinates?"

Wu Lie looked miserable, unable to give any directions or coordinates.

"Your senior is wise."

Wu Lie kowtowed repeatedly.

"This junior truly only knows that Icefire Island is in the far north, but I really don't know its exact location. If I've uttered even the slightest lie, may I be struck by lightning!"

Grandma Jinhua stared into his eyes for a long time.

Those cloudy old eyes seemed to pierce through skin and flesh, looking straight into one's heart.

After a long while, she slowly withdrew her gaze.

Wu Lie's expression was fearful but unwavering; her fear was genuine, not guilty—in her experience of judging people, this man was indeed not lying.

Moreover, knowing the general geographical features of Icefire Island was enough for her.

Having lived by the sea for a long time, she is an expert in star positioning, ocean current trends, and monsoon patterns, and has a thorough understanding of the North Pacific shipping routes.

Knowing that Icefire Island is located in the far north, in a bitterly cold place, and that there are both volcanoes and glaciers on the island, she can roughly deduce its location based on her decades of sailing experience.

Not worth it.

Having received the answer she wanted, Granny Jin Hua nodded slightly, a barely perceptible look of satisfaction on her face.

She then looked at Wu Qingying, who was still struggling, her expression as indifferent as if she were looking at a used rag.

A gentle squeeze in my hand.

Click.

A crisp cracking sound came from Wu Qingying's neck. Her eyes widened suddenly, and she opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

The fear, resentment, and disbelief that lingered on that beautiful face were then frozen in an eternal blank.

His body swayed, and he collapsed softly to the ground, motionless.

Granny Jin Hua casually tossed the corpse aside, her movements as casual as if she were throwing away a piece of trash.

This happened without warning.

Wu Lie froze on the spot, his eyes bulging as he stared at his daughter's still-warm body on the ground, his mind exploding with a buzz.

Two full breaths passed before he finally managed to squeeze out a heart-wrenching roar from deep within his throat.

"Blue Infant—!"

He rushed over and picked up his daughter, his fingers trembling as he checked her breath and pulse.

No.

There was nothing there.

The warm body is cooling down rapidly.

He slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, staring intently at Granny Jin Hua, his teeth clenched so tightly they creaked.

"Granny Jin Hua... you never intended to leave any survivors from the very beginning!"

Granny Jin Hua's tone was as calm as still water, completely devoid of emotion:

"Leave them alive? Do you expect them to spread news of Xie Xun throughout the martial world? This old woman has been living in seclusion on Ling Snake Island for many years and doesn't want to be disturbed."

"I kill you--!"

Wu Lie roared, gently put his daughter down, drew his sword, and charged at Granny Jin Hua.

Wei Bi reacted much faster than Wu Lie.

The moment Granny Jin Hua slightly loosened her grip, he sensed something was wrong and quietly took a half-step back.

When he heard the crisp sound of Wu Qingying's neck breaking, he had already turned around and used all his strength to leap outwards.

He always considered himself a smart man.

A wise person never tries to be a hero in a situation where death is inevitable.

Once he climbs over that wall and disappears into the vast snow-covered Kunlun Mountains, no one will be able to find him.

But in front of Granny Jin Hua, his lightness skill was not much faster than that of a sparrow.

Without turning her head, Granny Jin Hua flicked her wrist, and a golden light shot through the air.

The golden flower pierced him precisely from his left temple and exited from his right, leaving behind a cloud of blood mist.

Wei Bi's pupils suddenly dilated, and his body lurched forward two steps due to inertia before collapsing to the ground, twitching twice before falling silent again.

Those unseeing eyes were still staring at the wall, just three zhang away...

This ill-fated couple, one with his neck snapped and the other with his skull pierced, died in different ways but met the same end.

One was misplaced infatuation, the other was wicked; they ended up in the same place despite their different paths.

Song Qingshu saw everything clearly from the shadows, and while he felt a chill in his heart, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

Ultimately, it was all caused by their affair. If Wei Bi hadn't met with Zhu Jiuzhen in secret, Zhang Wuji wouldn't have discovered Zhu Changling's wicked scheme. If the two of them had just been able to control their desires, they wouldn't have had another affair that Zhu'er caught them in, thus incurring the wrath of Granny Jin Hua.

Now that she has ended up like this, it is certainly because Granny Jin Hua was ruthless, but isn't it also the result of her own actions?

Wu Lie drew his sword and charged forward, each move a desperate attack, his swordplay fierce and displaying a fearless, self-destructive spirit.

Although he was a descendant of Zhu Wu Lianhuan Manor, and his ancestor Wu Santong was one of the four great disciples under the Southern Emperor, by his generation, the family tradition had largely withered away.

He was at best a third-rate martial arts expert, more than capable of bullying ordinary thieves, but now he was facing the Purple-Robed Dragon King—a top expert whom even Yang Xiao and Yin Tianzheng had to treat with utmost respect.

Granny Jin Hua didn't even bother to look at him. With a casual flick of her cane, the end of the coral gold cane precisely struck the spine of Wu Lie's sword.

With a crisp clang, the hundred-refined steel longsword snapped in two, half of the blade flying into the air.

Wu Lie's tiger's mouth split open, blood gushing out. He was thrown backward by a tremendous force, crashing onto the stone steps under the corridor. He felt a tightness in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.

He struggled to get up, but Granny Jin Hua had already appeared in front of him like a ghost, her cane held against his throat, pressing him firmly against the stone steps.

The old woman's aged face showed neither joy nor sorrow; she simply said, "Don't rush, one at a time."

After saying that, he glanced at the servants in the courtyard who were already terrified.

Her movements were as fast as lightning; her coral-gold cane struck, swept, chopped, and stabbed, each blow accompanied by the crisp sound of bones shattering.

Although the servants had swords in their hands, they didn't even have the courage to raise them, and they all fell to the ground screaming in agony.

Some had their heart meridians shattered, some had their throats pierced, and some had their chests crushed by a single blow.

In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the courtyard was filled with corpses lying haphazardly, blood flowing everywhere along the cracks in the bluestone, and a heavy stench of blood permeated the air.

The front yard of Blizzard Manor, which was bustling with activity just moments before, is now littered with corpses and as silent as a graveyard.

Granny Jinhua stood amidst the corpses scattered everywhere, yet not a single drop of blood stained her body.

She leaned on her cane and slowly walked towards Wu Lie, her face still showing that indifferent expression, as if she hadn't just killed twenty-odd people, but simply swept up some fallen leaves in the yard.

As Wu Lie watched her approach step by step, the golden cane drawing ever closer reflected in his pupils, he finally felt a bone-chilling despair.

He tried desperately to sit up, but was unable to move due to the severity of his injuries.

Just now.

"Go easy on him."

A clear voice came from the side.

The voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear and distinct in the deathly silent courtyard.